


The Mortician's Son

by ArinThePotato



Category: Black Veil Brides, Falling in Reverse, My Chemical Romance, Palaye Royale (Band), Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anxiety, Depression, Drug Abuse, Frerard, Gayness, Homelessness, I like using song titles as chapter titles don't judge, Just weirdness, M/M, Multi, Orphans, Self-Harm, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-02-04 16:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12774711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArinThePotato/pseuds/ArinThePotato
Summary: "I will await, dear.A patience of eternity, my crush.A universal still, no rust.No dust will ever grow on this frame.One million years and I will say your name.I love you more than I could ever scream."





	1. Welcome to My Life

# Welcome to My Life - Simple Plan 

Frank looked at the rising sun, a beer bottle in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other. He was alone, sitting on top of an abandoned building.

"Nice view, huh?"

Frank swung his head around, Ryan stood with a plastic bag of food in his hand. Frank only sighed in response and took a drag of the toxic smoke. Ryan dropped the bag and joined Frank's side. Frank could see the dark bags under Ryan's eyes, "You been staying up again?" He handed the bottle to the brunette. Ryan nodded, taking a sip of the beer then leaning his head on the shorter male's shoulder, "Can't sleep..." He muttered. Frank took one last drag before putting out his cigarette. Ryan was always the clingy one, he couldn't be by himself for too long or he'll burst. Frank didn't mind that of course. "You can tell me, Ry..." Frank played with his hoodie sleeves. Ryan shifted onto his side and rested in Frank's lap. He took the bottle and set it behind them. "I just hate..." Ryan paused, Frank started to twist his fingers in his long, brown hair. "Just life in general. My mom always told me that life sucks...then you die." Ryan said quietly. Frank hummed in response.  
They stayed silent until Frank could confirm that the brunette was asleep.

Frank looked down at the pale boy in his lap. Frank gently rolled up the sleeved of his hoodie and looked at the light blue bandana that covered his wrist. Frank slowly undid the tiny knot, he let the fabric fall across his lap. He looked at the dark scars. 5 times. He had relapsed 5 times. The first time was the worst he was told. The second time had a more serious reason, but wasn't physically as bad. The third time was the longest lasting, and the rest were almost as bad as the first one. Frank was there for the last two, and it was heartbreaking. They've both had heartbreaking experiences with each other, Frank's songwriting, and Ryan's self-harm. Frank had written songs wanting to end it all. He tried to tell Ryan that his depression wasn't as bad as his. Ryan only shook his head at him and said "We just have different ways of expressing it." Frank soon agreed and they went on. Frank sighed and wrapped the bandana back up. He slowly and carefully scooted back from the edge and picked up the taller boy. He didn't want to risk his only friend falling off a four story building.

# ______________________

He watched his mother delicately run a wet washcloth over the body. "Gerard, are you watching?" Donna looked at his son. He nodded. She smiled and went back to washing the body, "This is important, Gee. Not many men like you have been able to get this kind of job." She wringed the cloth over the drain then dipped it in the bucket of water. "Now, let me see you do it." She stepped back and held the red tinted cloth to her son. Gerard slowly got up from his chair and looked at the towel. Donna looked back at Gerard. She sighed and set the towel down, then put her hands on his shoulders, "I know this might not be what you wanted to be, but the family needs you, Mikey is still in school and your father...you know." She frowned, Gerard refused to look into his mother's green eyes. "Gerard, look at me." She squeezed his shoulders. He finally looked up, "I am so proud of you." Donna whispered, Gerard let his black hair fall in his eyes, "You have been so strong for me and your brother. All I want for you two is to be happy. You guys are the only reason why I am still alive. Your father's death was hard on all of us, I could see that. Believe me, I know what you two are going through because I am going through the same thing." She brushed Gerard's soft hair out of his face and behind his ear. He kept blank face. Donna sighed and pulled him into a tight hug. Gerard slowly hugged her back, ignoring the smell of dead people on her shirt. "I love you, Gee." She kissed the top of his head. Gerard let out a soft sigh, "I love you, too, Mama."

# ______________________

# 


	2. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank runs into a giraffe at the local grocery store. Well, not literally...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter! This one will be longer, I promise.

# Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone) - Cinderella

"Ryan!" Frank called from his makeshift room. Ryan run to the doorway, "Yeah?" He flicked his long hair away. "I'm going to Wal-Mart, you got cash?" Frank looked up at the taller boy. "Uuuh..." Ryan dug in his pocket and fished out his wallet, "I know this guy gave me 100 bucks yesterday..." He pulled out the bill and waved it. Frank's eyes widened, "No way..." He ran over to Ryan and snatched the bill. "Yes way, he was filming a youtube video so obviously he want wanted to appear nice but still, who wouldn't reject $100?" Ryan leaned on Frank. "Dude, you're the best!" Frank swung his arms around the boy's torso, Ryan hugged him back, "Eh, I'd disagree, but thank you." He ruffed Frank's short ginger hair. Frank groaned and fixed it the best he could. "Alright, I'ma go." He pulled away and stuffed the bill in his pocket. "Don't die." Ryan smiled as he walked towards the staircase. "You know me, man, I may be small but I can throw a punch." He replied.

Frank look one last drag of his cigarette before he put it out. "Right, Frankie..." Frank sighed and shook his arms a bit. He walked inside the store and grabbed a red basket. He started walking towards a random isle. He looked around, bread and stuff... He took a loaf and threw it in his basket. He pulled out his phone and texted Ryan.

Frank: what else do we need? i got bread

Ryan: get me sum fritos

Frank: thats it?

Ryan: milk, sandwich stuffs, idk just food

Frank: thanks...

Ryan: np boo

Frank shook his head and flipped his phone closed. He sighed and went to search for some milk. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, not noticing the man in front of him. Being the idiot he was, he ran right into the guy. Frank slowly looked up, and... "Hoooly shhh...." Frank mouthed as the guy turned. 'This dude is like 7 feet tall!' He thought. The dude smiled and looked down at him. He had very long black hair, a black leather jacket, thick eyeliner, and Frank had to admit, he was pretty hot. "S-Sorry, man." Frank stuttered. The guy chuckled, "It's all good, shortcakes." Frank glared, he couldn't stand that name... The man's face fell, "Sorry, you're just..." He licked his lips, "Really short..." He whispered. Frank kept his glare, "I'm not short, you're just a giraffe." He huffed. The man smiled a bit, "I'm Andy, your local giraffe." He held out his hand. Frank glanced at it, before he slowly shook it, "Frank, you're local...short...cake...?" He hesitated. Andy laughed, "You're aggressive, short, and awkward, I like you." Frank raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms, "You just met me..." He muttered. Andy shrugged, "Still..." He smirked. Frank shook his head before-

"ANDY!" 

He turned around and saw another man with shoulder length black hair and an AC/DC shirt with pajama pants ran around the corner. "Jinxx! Meet shortcakes!" "It's Frank..." He grumbled. Jinxx looked down at the 5'4 man. "He's...cool..." He patted the top of Frank's head. Frank rubbed his face and groaned, "God, why me..." He sighed. Andy hugged the ginger, "Aww, don't worry Frankie,  
you'll grow." He chuckled. Frank wanted to strangle the man. Jinxx pinched the bridge of his nose, "Okay, anyway, the guys are waiting on the bus, we arrive at the venue tomorrow. Jake and I need to tune our guitars, CC needs to figure how to set up his new drum kit, we have to practice our set, and you're sitting here talking to a 5'0 man who is trying to buy groceries. Leave the poor guy alone, Andrew." Jinxx sighed, letting his arm fall to his side. Andy slowly removed his arm from around Frank's shoulder. Frank's eyes lit up, "You guys are in a band?" He asked. Jinxx nodded, "Andy sings, I play violin and guitar, and our friends Jake, Ashley, and Christian play guitar and drums." He replied. Frank smiled, "Cool, what's the name?" He was always open about exploring with different music. "Black Veil Brides." Andy said proudly. Frank nodded slowly, "I'll check you guys out sometime." He chirped. Jinxx smiled wide, "Thanks, Frank, that means a lot." He chuckled. Frank nodded. Jinxx looked at Andy, "Well, are you almost done?" He asked him. Andy looked down at his own basket, "Gotta check out then I'll be out." He answered. Jinxx nodded, "Alright, well, come on." He yawned and walked away. Andy started going with him, but turned around. "Hey, call me or text me." He handed her a slip of paper. Frank took the paper, "Will do." He nodded. Andy ruffled his hair, "Cya, Frank." He walked away. Frank stuffed the paper in his pocket and continued with his shopping.

Frank pulled open the heavy metal doors to the abandoned factory, walking in. He let the doors close behind him, "HONEY! I'M HOME!" He yelled, his voice echoing throughout the building. He heard footsteps near the stairs. Next thing he knew, he was tackled to the ground, "FOOD!" Ryan yelled and took one of the bags. Frank chuckled and watched Ryan scramble back up the stairs. Frank slowly got up and picked up the remaining bags. He trudged up the metal stairs and saw Ryan sitting on the floor. Ryan turned around, his lips covered in powdered sugar. Frank chuckled and shook his head, "You're such an idiot..." He looked down at the bag of mini powdered donuts in his lap. Ryan smiled innocently. Frank dropped the rest of the bags next to Ryan and went over to his mattress. He laid down on it and flipped open his phone and got out the paper. "I ran into some band at Wal-Mart." He started, typing in Andy's number to add him as a contact. "What's their name?" Ryan asked. It sounded more like 'Whu thur ame?' with all the donuts in his mouth. Frank smiled, "Black Veil Brides, some metal band by the looks of it." He flipped his phone closed once he was done. He heard a giggle, "Gotta date with the hotties?" He wiggled his eyebrows. Frank's threw his phone down at got up, "Come here you little fatface!" He tackled Ryan. His friend squealed and squirmed. Frank snatched the bag of donuts from his hand and hugged the bag. Ryan gasped, his face looking hurt. Frank smiled and stuffed a donut in Ryan's mouth. Ryan chewed on the donut happily. He wrapped his arms around Frank's torso, hugging him tightly, "Ryan!" Frank giggled as he fell on top of the taller man. Ryan snuggled Frank, "I love you so much, Frank. No homo." He sighed. Frank scoffed, "Ryan, you're the gayest person I know." They laughed. "I hate you." Ryan pulled on Frank's hair. He kept giggling.

# ______________

# 

"Gerard...?"

He turned towards his door to see his little brother, "Wassup, Mikes?" Gerard stretched. Mikey shrugged, "Mom went to work..." He went over to Gerard's bed and sat on it. Gerard nodded and turned back to his desk. He continued drawing and they went silent.

"Gerard?"

"Yeah, Mikey?" Gerard replied.

"Where were you last night?"

Gerard froze.

"I was at Ray's." He lied.

"I'm worried about you, Gee..." Mikey looked at Gerard.

"Mikey, I'm fine." Gerard clenched his pencil tightly.

"You've been coming home late all week, Mom notices, too!" Mikey stood up and stood next to Gerard.

"Mikey, I'm not in the mood." He warned.

"I just wanna know what's going on! I'm your brother for fuck's sake!" Mikey yelled. Gerard was starting to get pissed. "Mikey, I suggest you leave." He huffed. "Why?! So you can run off again and make me and mom worry ourselves sick?!" Mikey choked out. Gerard hated seeing his brother like this. "I love you, Gerard. You're all I have..." He sighed. Gerard frowned and looked down at his paper. He felt his heart break a little when he heard a sniffle. "Mikey..." Gerard whispered and got up from his chair. He looked at his brother before embracing him in a tight hug. Mikey clung to his older brother tightly as silent tears rolled down his cheeks. The two rocked back and forth slowly, "I would never leave you or mom..." Gerard whispered, "There's some things going on that I don't wanna talk about..." He added. Mikey took off his glasses and wiped his eyes, "I just worry..." He threw his glasses on the desk behind Gerard. "I'm okay, I promise." Gerard stepped back and ruffled his brother's messy brown hair.

His fingers were crossed.


	3. Backseat Serenade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard talks to an old childhood friend after they have relapsed with drug abuse and alcoholism.

#  Backseat Serenade - All Time Low 

# 

Frank woke up at around 6 AM. He usually doesn't sleep until 11 or 12 but...his body wants him up... "Ry..." He groaned as he stood up. "Mmm..." He heard from the other side of the room. Frank sighed and decided to let him sleep.

He looked up at the starbucks, it's expensive, but all of the other coffee places are crap. Frank walked in the building with his 10 dollars in his hand. The instant smell of coffee gave him a welcoming feeling, he liked it. Frank went up to the counter and looked up at the menu. "Lemme know when you're ready." He heard someone say. Frank looked up at the cashier and nodded. "I'll take two vanilla lattes..." Frank said. The cashier nodded and grabbed a cup, "To go?" He asked. Frank nodded. He nodded again, "Names?" he asked. "Frank and Ryan." Frank answered. The cashier set the cups behind him, "I'll call you when you're ready." He smiled. "Thank you." Frank went over to a small table and sat. He laid his head down on the wooden table, his body was still tired. In a few minutes he was called.

# _______________

Gerard was with his mom again, Mikey was at school. They were at the park, the weather was dull and cold. "Remember Ronnie?" His mother leaned back in her chair. Gerard nodded, "The dude I used to always play with?" He asked. Donna hummed, "I ran into him the other day, told me he relapsed." she shook her head, "Poor dude got divorced with his wife. It's mostly the alcohol, promised himself he wouldn't go back to drugs." She explained. Gerard frowned, he really liked Ronnie, especially his music. A lot of his lyrics are related to girls and sex and stuff, but that was before he met his ex wife. He went through a lot of bad depression, especially after he lost his first band. "That's sad..." Gerard frowned. Donna nodded, "Looked really bad, like he got in a horse fight." She added. Gerard sighed and looked over at the tree on top of the small hill they were next to. "Could I drive over there today?" Gerard looked up at the dying leaves of the tree. "Of course, you can leave the house whenever. You're an adult, Gee, you turned 20 back in April." She took her son's hand, "You don't wanna grow up...you wish you could be 15 forever." She smiled, "I get it, Gerard." Donna kissed his forehead. Gerard smiled weakly, 'Well damn, Mama, I just asked to go to Ronnie's." He chuckled. Donna laughed, "Yes, of course." She patted his shoulder and leaned back in her chair.

# _______________

Gerard pulled up into the cracked concrete driveway. The house was a different color than last time he'd seen the home. Before, it was an ugly green, now it's a bright dark blue. Ronnie was 26, a few years older than Gerard. Gerard has known him since birth and since then, they treated each other like brothers. When Ronnie disappeared after Gerard's 16th birthday, he was devastated. When he came back, he wasn't gonna lie, he was a jerk. Ronnie did everything in his power to try and hurt Gerard. Call him names, hit him and say he's joking around, and one time, he even forced Gerard to have a beer with him. As much as Gerard knew it was illegal, he enjoyed the small brother to brother moment. After that, he confessed and Gerard forgave him. Gerard took a deep breath and got out approaching the door.

# _______________

Frank ran as fast as he could through the overgrown field. He was over a mile away from Ryan. The feelings he's been bottling up were boiling inside of him. The feelings he's been bottling up for Ryan, to keep him happy. The feelings he's been holding back just so his best friend wouldn't burst. Guess he's been doing damn well at hiding them. He fell back onto the soft grass and looked up at the dull sky. He shuddered and saw his breath in a white puff of smoke in front of him. He felt cold, inside and out. He's almost completely forgotten what that warmth felt like. He sat up and curled into a tight ball, also covering his ears. Frank sat there for a few seconds, which felt like hours. Then, he screamed as loud as he could as tears ran from his shut eyes. His bubble had finally burst.

# _______________

"So..." Gerard looked down at his chipped black painted nails, "What's goin' on?" He glanced up at Ronnie, who was looking down. Ronnie's black hair had fallen over his pale face, a permanent frown plastered across his lips, "I don't know, Gerard..." He murmured. Gerard scooted right next to him and hesitantly put an arm around his shoulders, "Ron, you worry me, ya know? I love you, man, you're my brother. You can't keep this in forever..." He stated. Ronnie pushed his long hair behind his ear and sniffled quietly, "I tried, Gee. We were together for over 2 years...we were newlyweds. It ended too fast..." His voice broke at the end. Gerard paused, "You don't have to tell me everything, Ronnie." He sighed. "I want to tell you, Gee...can't find the right words." Ronnie buried his face in his hands

# _______________

"Do you think he's alright?"

"I'm sure he's fine..."

"...Poor thing..."

...

"Em, you watch him. Rem, come with me."

"Gotcha..."

# _______________

Frank opened his eyes, the words 'Please tell me I'm dead' repeating in his mind. But he only saw light tan walls, "God..." He whimpered and rubbed his face, "Dammit..." He continued. "What day is..." Frank slowly glanced up at the young boy in the green velvet chair next to him, "it..." He finished. "October 31st 2020, happy birthday." He said sarcastically, resting his chin in his palm. "How..." Frank was utterly shocked...and a bit creeped out. "Your driver's license fell out of your pocket. It's past expired by the way." He replied. Frank sat up and buried his face in his hands. "So...Frank...what happened back there?" The boy asked, picking up a glass of hot tea from the coffee table. Frank looked around nervously, he didn't know where he was, who these people are, why the brought him here, and why they looked at his drivers license. He knew it was been expired. "N-Nothing, It...It was nothing..." He sat up and crossed his arms, refusing to look up at the young male. The boy nodded and sipped from the mug before setting it back down. "Whether it be mental problems, or you got physically hurt, I'm here to help." He crossed his legs and gave a small smile. Frank looked at his eyes, they were a light brown.

"I just need to get home to Ryan..." Frank muttered, rubbing his face. The boy looked down and nodded, "I suppose so..." He sighed as two other people walked into the room. They looked at Frank with shocked expressions, they both opened their mouths to say something only for the boy to hold up his hand, "He doesn't need your questions. We have to take him home." He said quietly. The second shortest sealed his mouth shut. "Emerson, we told you to watch him, not talk to him." The oldest said. The boy, Frank now knows is Emerson, shrugged and took a sip from his tea, "He wants to go home to his friend." He said simply. Frank looked up at them, silently asking them to please take them home. 

"Alright. Frank, we'll take you home." The oldest spoke up. 

Emerson smiled, "Thank you, Sebastian." He looked at Sebastian. "Alright, let's go." Sebastian went out of the room. Emerson stood and followed behind him. Frank got up and grabbed his wallet from the table, then checked to see if they took anything. Once he could confirm that everything was there, he went out of the room.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The last one who hadn't followed was in the doorway.

Frank looked at him and nodded, "I never got your name." He commented. They walked out of the house and to the car, "It's Remington, Sebastian and Emerson are my brothers." He smiled at Frank. Frank nodded, "You guys look young..." He commented. Remington shrugged, "Emerson's our youngest, he's 14..." Remington got in, along with Frank. "What about me?" Emerson spoke up. Frank gave a small smile, "You guys look pretty young." He said again. Sebastian chuckled as he pulled out of the driveway, "I'm 18, Remington's 16, little Emerson over here's 14." He looked back at Frank in the rear view mirror. Emerson pouted a bit, hiding in his scarf. Frank shook his head with a smile, "I thought he was like, 10." He chuckled. Remington snorted. "Alright, Frankso, where to?" Sebastian asked. Frank bit his lip, "Just drop me off at the guitar store." He replied. He didn't want them worrying more than they probably already do.

# _______________

Mikey was out shopping for new bass strings (He told Gerard that, but he knew he was possibly gonna come back with a new bass, too), Mama was out at her job, which meant Gerard had the house to himself for a few hours. He already had his favorite Queen CD in his CD player with the volume on a high level. "Weee are the champions, my friends!" He sang along loudly as he played some dumb game on his phone. It had a gopher in it, which was kinda cool (Not really). "And weeee'll keep on fighting till the end!" He continued, "We are the champions! We are the champions!"

"No time for losers!"

He didn't sing that. "What the f..." Gerard got up and paused the CD. He turned back around and saw a head of fluff outside his window. "Ray!" Gerard said angrily. He stomped over to the closed window and swung it open. Ray giggled as he climbed in and stumbled onto Gerard's bed."You are actually an idiot!" Gerard scolded and closed his window.

Ray sat up, his fluffy hair disheveled. "What? You're favorite best friend can't surprise you with a super surprised appearance?" He chuckled. Gerard stared at him with a disgusted-like face. "Don't be a party pooper." He pouted and poked at Gerard's cheeks. "Mikey and Mama are out, they're gonna be back in like-" Gerard glanced at the time on his phone, "an hour!" He threw his phone back on the bed. Ray kept a smile on his face, "They won't care." He shrugged and leaned back against the wall. Gerard pinched the bridge of his nose, "Okay, fine, whatever." He climbed back onto his bed, and sat next to Ray. Ray hummed victoriously.

...

...

"Do you guys have any food?"

"Ray!"


	4. Warning Sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the movie Cujo all over again.

# Warning Sign - Coldplay

Frank's hand rested on the cold handle for a few minutes. He wanted to see Ryan, but he didn't want to at the same time because he knew Ryan would question him. Frank took a deep breath and silently prayed to no one and everyone before he swung the door open. He walked slowly, his footsteps echoing throughout the building. "Ryan?" Frank called out as he climbed up the stairs. His heart skipped a beat when he didn't get a reply. "Ry..." Frank walked into their 'bedroom' and paused, "an..." He saw Ryan sitting on the bed clutching a little kitten. Ryan looked up at Frank with wide eyes as a small bottle was held between his fingers, "I-I..." He stuttered. Frank waltzed over to Ryan's side and sat down. The kitten was messy, and it looked like it was just born out of the womb. "A-A rabid dog came in from downstairs and almost attacked me...There was a litter of kittens in the corner and I was only able to save one..." He stared down at the kitten. Frank looked Ryan up and down. He was covered in dog hair and dried drool and slobber. "Are you okay??" Frank asked quickly. Ryan nodded, "I'm fine but..." He stroked the nursing kitten with his thumb, "His brothers and sisters aren't." He whispered. Frank sat there for a moment and watched the kitten drink from the bottle. He must've bought the bottle while he was gone. Then Frank started to panic, "Where's the dog?" He asked quickly. Ryan seemed to freeze, then looked up at Frank, "I-I don't know." He answered quietly.

# _______________

The door to his bedroom swung open, "Gerard I'm home!" Mikey's soft voice echoed into the room. Ray gasped and instantly got up, practically sprinting over to Mikey and scooping him into a hug. "Ray!" Mikey giggled as Rays hair fell messily over his face. Gerard smiled and shook his head. The two could be lovers if they really wanted to, they were that close. "Me and Mikey are gonna hang out!" Ray exclaimed before the two exited the room in quiet giggles and laughs. Gerard, being the nosy older brother he was, ran over to his back wall, the one separating him and Mikey, and pressed his ear against it.

"Your hair is really soft." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

"Your face looks nice." 

"Ray, that was so cheesy." 

"What's wrong with a little cheesiness?" 

Gerard heard Mikey's bed creak. 

"Nothing." 

"Hm." 

It was silent; he heard a quiet giggle. Gerard smiled, they were the most cutest closet gays ever.

# _______________

Ryan was close to having a panic attack, and Frank knew it. His hazel-brown eyes were glossed over, he was taking deeper breaths, and his body shook lightly. "Ryan," Frank spoke up. He had been staring at him for the last 10 minutes and it was killing him, "Ry, come here." Frank sighed. Ryan looked up, "I'm fine, Frank, really, I'm just scared the dog might come out any second..." He sniffled and wiped his eyes. Frank rubbed his back, "I'll go check downstairs to see if he's still there." He said quietly. "You'll get killed, Frank!" Ryan looked at him with wide eyes. The kitten meowed. "Where'd that crowbar go? If he's there, I'll kill him. It's like Cujo all over again, but we aren't trapped in a car for 3 days." Frank stood. Ryan sighed, Frank could see him relaxing a bit, "It's in the green room, next to the machine thingy." He waved his hand. Frank nodded, "I'll get him, Ryan, just keep this door locked or blocked, okay?" He looked back at Ryan. The kitten stumbled to its feet and nuzzled Ryan's hand. Ryan nodded, "Don't get killed." He replied.

Frank held the crowbar tightly in his hand, the old metal steps creaked. He went over what he was gonna do if he saw the rabid dog. Despite Frank's small frame, he was strong. He's hurt multiple bandmates because of his violent ways of jamming out with his guitar. They didn't allow him to crowd surf worrying that he'd hurt people. But to Frank, he was just having fun. Of course, he doesn't mean to hurt his friends and the few fans they had during Pencey Prep. Frank veered out of memory lane when he heard a low grunt. Frank's heart skipped a beat and his hand started to tremble. There he was, in all his slobbery and bloody glory. "If the mom could kill you once, then so can I." He warned the large dog. Of course, it wasn't the original 1980s Cujo Frank hated but loved, but he was getting those vibes. The dog barked and charged at Frank. Frank yelped and swung the crowbar into the dog's skull. The dog drooled and growled as him and the short male fought.

# _______________

She was on her way back from work when she heard the yells, barks, clangs, and growls. "What in the..." She approached the building and peeked through the broken window. She gasped when she a large bloody dog attacking a small boy. "Oh dear, oh dear..." She quickly opened her purse and fished for her phone. She flipped it open and dialed number. She pressed the speaker to her ear with trembling hands as she watched the boy drop his defense weapon. "911, what's your emergency?" She heard a man say. "There's a dog attacking a boy in the abandoned oil factory!" She exclaimed, her voice shaking. "Alright Ma'am, we'll send police and an ambulance right away. What's your name?" The man asked. "Donna Way." She put a hand over her mouth when another boy came running down the steps holding a small kitten, "O-Oh! There's two boys! Another one came down the steps!" She replied before he hung up. "An ambulance will be there in a few minutes, Mrs. Way." The man replied. "Thank you, sir..." She whimpered and hung up. Donna already heard sirens in the distance. She wanted to go inside so badly, but she knew she would be attacked as well.

A police car pulled up, as well as an ambulance. "Donna Way?" One of the policemen came up to her, "Yes." She nodded quickly. "We're gonna need you to get in the car, we don't want to risk the dog attacking you." He explained. Donna nodded, "Of course." She hesitantly walked over to the police car and got in the back, sitting in the plastic seats. She closed the door shut and watched the man go to work. Then, she gasped quietly. Gerard and Mikey were at home alone. She pulled her phone back out and called Gerard. He picked up immediately, "Mom, are you okay? An ambulance just passed the house!" He sounded nervous. "Yes, yes, I'm fine, there's a dog attacking someone in the old oil factory." She replied. Gerard cursed under his breath, "When will you be home?" He asked. Donna looked out the window, the boy being attacked was on a stretcher, and his friend was right next to him, holding his hands tightly as the kitten laid in the hood of his jacket. "In a bit, hun, tell Mikey I'm okay, will you?" She bit her lip. "Yeah, yeah, I will." He sighed. "Thank you, baby. I love you, I'll cya soon." Donna smiled. "We love you, too, Mom!" She heard someone yell in the back. She giggled, knowing it was Ray. Gerard scolded him, "Love you, too, Mama. Bye." Then he hung up.

# _______________

Frank woke up in a hospital bed. He heard a soft meow in front of him. "Mmmm..." He groaned and opened his eyes, seeing the grey kitten's big yellow eyes in his face. "Ryan?" He cleared his throat. He heard a small snort next to him. "Ryan..." Frank sighed and saw him sitting in a chair next to him, his arms and head on the edge of the bed. The sound of a door opening made him gasp lightly. "Mr. Iero, you have a visitor." A doctor said. Frank raised an eyebrow. A woman with light brown, wavy hair, hazel eyes, and a round face entered. "Hi, Frank, I'm Donna." She said quietly, noticing the sleeping Ryan next to him. The kitten turned his attention towards Donna and excitedly pounced over to her. Frank grabbed the kitten and held him tightly. She smiled at the baby animal. "You can sit if you want," Frank sat up slowly. Donna sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling, hun?" She asked. Frank's tongue played with his lip ring nervously, "Good, I guess..." he muttered. Donna nodded, "I hope you're okay with this, but the doctors found out that you and your friend didn't technically...have a home, I guess." She said quietly. Frank's heart skipped a beat, of course they did. "They're sending us to a foster home, I can already see it..." Frank almost whispered. "Not exactly..." Donna replied, crossing a leg over the other, "I'm taking you in."


	5. When I Come Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gerard isn't too fond of the new people in their home...

# When I Come Home - Saywecanfly

Frank was finally out of the hospital, and Ryan was grateful to have his best friend back. Frank looked up at Ryan once Donna Way had pulled into the driveway. Ryan looked back down at him. "You boys ready?" Donna asked in a quiet tone. They bit their lip rings and snake bites nervously. "Yeah." Frank answered, gingerly taking Kitten from Ryan's hoodie pocket. "Alright, let's go, I have dinner to make." She got out and swung open the back doors of the car. Frank's mom would do the same thing if he had to wait to eat dinner. She'd heat up the oven and throw the food in there to keep it warm. Frank smiled at the memory and got out after Ryan.

# _______________

Gerard held a comic book in his hands. The Smiths played through his record player. He didn't really comfortable with two strangers staying in their home, whether they were attacked by a rabid dog or not. He could hear the front door open, along with Mikey's bedroom door as he heard him dash out. Gerard cringed as he heard one of the boys laugh. "Where's your brother?" Mama asked. Gerard froze, pleading that Mikey said he was with Ray or something. "He's in his room." Mikey replied.

Traitor.

"Gerard Arthur!" Mama's voice was heard down the hall. He didn't reply. Footsteps were heard in the hall and his door open. "If you don't come out here right now, I'm taking away all of your comic books." She warned. Gerard rolled his eyes and got up. He threw down his comic book and turned off his music. He followed behind Mama with a small glare on his face. Mikey and one of the boys were sitting on the couch, already talking about music, movies, anything that the two might have in common. "Gerard, this is Frank and Ryan. They're going to be staying with us." She put her hand on my shoulder as the boys looked at me. "Now!" She clapped her hands together, "Bedrooms. Ryan, you share with Mikey." She pointed to the boys on the couch. "Yes!" Mikey shouted and grabbed the boy by the wrist. They ran off to Mikey's bedroom. "And do not let that cat out of the room!" She called to them. "Yes, Ma'am!" Gerard heard Ryan call back. Gerard looked back at his mother, 'please, no.' he mouthed to her. "Frank, you'll share with Gerard." She gave him a small but mischievous smile. Gerard glared at her, only making her smile wider. "Run along boys, dinner will be ready in a bit." Donna waved them off. Gerard huffed and trudged to his room with Frank.

He swung open his poster filled door and went in, Frank coming in behind. The small male looked around, "You're room is like, really cool." He looked in awe at all the posters and drawings scattered throughout the room. "Thanks..." Gerard mumbled. "Black Flag, Green Day, Morissey, Queen, David Bowie, The Misfits." Frank named off some of the posters he saw. "Mhm, you like them, too?" Gerard asked. Frank nodded quickly, "Black Flag is my favorite, I have their logo tattooed on my arm." Frank rolled up his sleeve and showed off the ink. "Nice." Gerard said simply. Frank rolled his sleeve back down, "The artist did really good on it," He added. Gerard nodded in agreement.

Then, there was a knock on the window. Gerard turned around, mumbling curses under his breath. None other than Ray Toro peered in smiling under his light brown head of fluff. Gerard opened the window, "Get in here before you fall." Gerard sighed. Frank looked with confusion. Ray grunted as he pulled himself up through the window. Ray would climb up the tree and leap to the window. It was dangerous and Gerard hated it, but it's Ray Toro. He tumbled onto the bed. "Same old?" Gerard whispered to him. Ray nodded, "Pretty bad one, so I'm gonna stay for dinner." He whispered back. Gerard frowned then turned to Frank, "Could you give us a bit of privacy?" He asked. Frank nodded hesitantly and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Gerard turned back to Ray, "I'm sorry, Ray. Your parents suck." He sighed. Ray shrugged, "Been that way since I was born. I'm used to it." He looked back at Gerard. "How bad is it?" Gerard bit his lip. Ray's face fell, "I heard my dad punch my mom..." He mumbled. Gerard's eyes widened, the last time his dad hit his mother was when he was 13. "I'm scared, Gee, what if he goes back to his old self?" Ray asked, finally letting his true emotions out. "It'll be okay." Gerard squeezed his shoulders lightly. Ray let out a long sighed and leaned forward, burying his head in Gerard's shoulder. Gerard was surprised by the unexpected action, but wrapped his arms tightly around the older man. He rubbed his back lightly. The door opened and Gerard turned his head towards it. His Mom opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she saw Ray. She gave a sad smile and a sympathetic nod then whispered, "Dinner's almost done." before she closed the door quietly. 

"Why can't I have a family like yours?" Ray mumbled, Gerard felt his hot breath on his neck, "Once we get the money, we can move in together, then you'll be out of there for good." Gerard said, silently promising. They sat there silently as Gerard rubbed his back. "You don't have to always hide, Ray, it's okay to be upset." Gerard murmured. Ray didn't reply for a moment. "I have to be strong for you guys... You and Mikey are my brothers." He admitted. "I don't want you guys to be worrying about me, I want you guys to be happy." His voice got quieter and Gerard could hear a slight break at the end. "Ray, it's okay..." Gerard knew he was gonna cry. "I hate them, Gerard." Ray whispered. Gerard sighed, "Don't hold it in, Ray." He ran a hand through his long curls. Ray let out a quiet sob, his face buried into his shoulder. Gerard rubbed his back soothingly as the older male cried softly.

"You'll be okay, Ray..." Gerard whispered.

"You'll be okay..."

# _______________

Everyone sat silently at the dinner table. Ray was on my left side, Ryan on my right, Mikey on his right, then Frank and Mama. Frank looked up at Ryan every once in a while as we ate our chicken noodle soup. "So," Donna broke the silence, "When did you get the cat?" She asked, looking at Frank and Ryan. "Cujo attacked it's brothers and sisters, the mother ran away." Frank looked at Ryan, "Ryan tried to save the other ones but...only came out with one..." He continued eating. "Do you have a name for it?" Mama asked. Ryan shrugged, "I just call it Kitten...there's no official name for it yet..." He said quietly. Ryan wasn't a social type, Gerard concluded. Mikey wasn't either, which made them a good match. "Well, once you find a name for it, we'll get a tag and a collar. I think it'd be a good idea to neuter it too, we don't need anymore cats around here with Gerard's allergies." She chuckled and looked at the eldest son. Gerard wasn't getting involved in this conversion at all. Ray's eyes lit up, "You could name it Brave, o-or Cookie! Like, ya know, tough Cookie?" He smiled excitedly. Gerard looked up at Ray unimpressed, "Brave? Cookie? What is this, Disney Land?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Gerard..." Donna warned lowly, giving him the infamous 'Gerard be nice' look. Gerard mumbled a small 'sorry' and continued eating what was left in his bowl. Mikey smiled at Ray, "That'd be a great idea!" He looked at Ryan, "What do you think, Ry?" He asked. Ryan smiled, "I like Cookie, and the meaning." He replied sheepishly. "Cookie it is." Donna smiled, looking over at everyone at the table.

# _______________

Frank and Ryan were sitting in the tree in the backyard of the Way household. "I love you." Ryan said to break the silence. Frank turned over to him, "I love you, too, Ry." He linked an arm around Ryan's shoulder. Ryan leaned his head on Frank's shoulder as they sat in silence. "Frank, how did we get here?" Ryan asked sheepishly. "In Donna's car." Frank replied. Ryan huffed and poked his cheek. "I'm being serious Frank. We've been living in that building for 2 years and now we're in a home with an awesome parents and awesome brothers." He explained. Frank thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm no expert Ryan, I'm not sure. Life I guess." He muttered. Ryan hummed, "Promise me that no matter what, we will never leave each other's side." He looked up at Frank with big green eyes. Frank looked back down at him. 

"I promise."


	6. Sugar, We're Going Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Gerard is busy checking up on Ronnie, a surprise visitor appears in the window.

# Sugar, We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy

Frank was alone in Gerard's room. He apparently went to go visit 'Ronnie'. Gerard told Frank before he left that he was not allowed to touch his laptop, his comic books, or anything else on his desk. He also told him he could use the record player, he just had to be extremely careful with it and his records. So, Frank helped himself and put in one of his Smashing Pumpkins records. Mikey helped him a bit with placing the needle, but he managed to figure it out. If you couldn't tell, Frank has never used a record player before. While Frank listened, he laid on Gerard's bed and played that stupid gopher game deep in his files. He can hear Ryan and Mikey through the thin walls, "How long were you out there?" Mikey asked. "2 years...?" Ryan replied. "How? It's an old factory! The radiation, the dirt, it must've been disgusting!" He exclaimed in disgust. "Well...not really...but I guess we just got used to it after the first few months." Ryan replied quietly. 

There was a knock on the window.

'Is it that Ray dude again?' Frank sighed and looked up.

But he was wrong. A young boy with ear-length, black hair topped with a pink and white flower crown, a pale face, and full pink lips was standing in the tree. 

"Who-..." Frank opened the window.

The boy looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, "Who are you?" He asked.

"Frank Iero. And who are you?" Frank asked, giving the same look.

"Brendon Urie. Where is Gerard Way?" He asked.

"Out with some guy named Ronnie." Frank replied, shifting on his knees.

"Of course." Brendon sighed.

"Brendon! What's the hold up?" A voice was heard from below the tree. Frank stuck his head out of the window and saw a similar man, but with thin lips, long brown hair, and a blue and white flower crown. He honestly didn't wanna know what was their deal with the flower crowns. "Hold on, Ryan!" Brendon sighed, turning back to Frank. "Can we come in?" He asked. Frank shrugged and stepped aside, watching the boy jump to the window and climb in. Ryan did the same. When they sat down, Frank asked, "So what's with the flower crowns?". Brendon smiled, looking towards Ryan, "Nothing, we're just really gay." he giggled.

Ryan looks down shyly.

"Oh, yeah! This is my boyfriend, Ryan Ross." Brendon grabs Ryan's hand. "He's not very social..." Brendon keeps his smile on his face as he leans in and brushes his nose against Ryan's cheek. 

"I-I am, I just..." Ryan is trying to hide his smile, blushing as he adjusted the crown of flowers on his head. "You're okay, babe." Brendon pats his head and swats his hand away from the crown. 

Frank just stares at the two. "My best friend, Ryan's, in Mikey's room. He's the same way as you." He smiled. "Imposter..." Brendon whispered then chuckled. Ryan was leaning into Brendon now, smiling softly as he fidgeted with Brendon's fingers.

Then, the front door swung open downstairs. "There he is..." Brendon looked towards the bedroom door, waiting for the older male to come in.

"Hey, hun."

"Hey." The sound of keys was heard.

"So how was it? Is he doing okay?"

"He's doing fine, there's still a ton of depression but he's controlling his drinking."

"Well, that's good."

"Mhm. I'm going up to my room. Lemme know when dinner's ready."

"Alright, have fun!"

Footsteps were heard comin up the stairs and the door opened. Gerard stared a them, "You guys are just..." He looked at Brendon and Ryan. "We were bored! And we brought you one!" Brendon held out a red and blue one from next to him. Frank covered his mouth and chuckled softly. Gerard looked furious as his face turned as red as a tomato. Ryan stood up and grabbed the flower crown, setting it on top of the older male's head. He smiled, smoothing out Gerard's messy, raven-black hair.

"There," He said stepping back, "Perfect."

Brendon nodded.

Frank bursted out in a loud laughter.

Gerard glared at him, his hands clenched into a fist. Frank laughed harder, clutching his stomach and falling back into Gerard's Star Wars sheets.

The door opened, "What's going on he- oh."

Frank recognized it as Ryan's voice.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Ryan stepped in front of Gerard and gingerly touched the small flowers. Ross smiled and sat back down. Ryan then turned to the couple, "O-Oh," He stuttered. Frank gave Ryan a small smiled. The Ryan's looked at each other, kinda confused. 

Brendon smiled widely, "I'm Brendon Urie, this is my boyfriend Ryan Ross." He said enthusiastically. The Ryan's still looked at each other. Frank covered his mouth, gasping quietly with a small smile. They looked almost identical. Ryan Ross stood up and stood in front of Ryan Mester. Everyone was silent as they looked at each other long and hard. "Are we twins or something?" Ross turned to Frank with furrowed eyebrows. Frank shrugged with his hands up, a stupid smile still plastered on his face. "I mean, besides the fact that his hair is much better than mine, he has snakebites, and his eyes and green, he looks identical to me." Ross turned back to Mester and poked his nose, "Very squishy." Ryan concluded. Frank burst out laughing again.

# _______________

Brendon had decided on all of us going to the mall to mess around.

"-and then Pete was like, 'Dude, that effin' dope!' all slurred and stuff! God, he was _so_ drunk!" Brendon giggled like a child as we sat on a small ledge above a bench wedged between an escalator and a wall.

We all just barely fit together, but Ross wanted to sit on Brendon's lap. "Pete never says dope, it's some kind of new slang these days, I dunno, I'm still mentally in 1999." Ryan added as he smiled down at his hands. "Ryan, it's 2003, get on our level!" Brendon said in what he called his 'valley girl' voice. Then, a huge blue slushy fell on top of the couple. Frank gasped and stepped back. "Up there!" Mikey pointed to the railing. Frank looked and got furious, he hopped off of the ledge, landing on the bench seat, then hopped off that and started chasing after the jerks.

"Get back here you homophobic pieces..." Frank cursed under his breath as he finally saw the girl and boy running with an empty slushy cup, holding the girl's hand. Despite Frank's small size, he was pretty fast. He even beat one of the 8th grade track runners in a race after school. His mom took him out for ice cream after she had picked him up, which didn't happen often.

Frank watched the girl trip, bringing the boy down with her. Frank caught up to them, grabbing them both by the arm, "You're both under arrest for being homophobic assholes!" Frank exclaimed as he dragged them back down the hall. They didn't even fight, after seeing Frank's speed down the hall.


	7. True Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ways take one huge vacation with Brendon, Ryan, Ray, and Ronnie. But all Frank wants is to be alone.
> 
> ||This chapter will be longer than normal, I hope you enjoy!||

# True Colors - Cyndi Lauper

Frank was helping Ryan pack his bag. Brendon and Ross were waiting out by the car. They weren't wearing their flower crowns. He could hear Ray and Gerard talking quietly to each other. Last night, Gerard let him use his laptop after Brendon and Ryan (Ross) had left. He decided to search up his last name, Iero. The things he found made him sick. His father died in jail, and his mother was on his path. The mugshots didn't match him at all, not one bit. He was glad he ran away and found Ryan in the corner of the old oil factory. He could remember he new reporters voice perfectly.

"Frank and Jacquelain Iero were arrested last night for child abuse and use of illegal drugs. The-"

It wasn't last night though, it was 2 nights after Frank had run away 2 years ago. But the worst about the whole thing was his part.

"Their son, Frank Anthony Iero Jr. ran away 2 nights ago unexpectedly. The search for the boy is starting today at 4:30 this evening. If you have any information of the boy's whereabouts, call your local police department immediately." Then, a picture of him walking out of his high school was shown. Apparently that was where he was last seen. It was true, right after school, he ran far out of the city, where he is now. Belleville, New Jersey.

The fact that his parents wanted to find him made him sick. He'd rather be dead than live with them again.

"Frank!"

He stepped out of the room with his suitcase, "Yeah?" He called out. 

"You ready, hun?" Donna asked. 

Frank looked out the window, looking at the small, old, tree outside.

He sighed, looking back down at his suitcase, "Yeah." He called back, his voice quiet.

He didn't really pack anything, he didn't really need anything anyway. They were only going to be gone for 2 weeks.

Once Frank got the courage to leave the small bedroom, he dragged his and Ryan's bag behind him. He was greeted with rushed hands pushing him out the door. "Hurry up! We have to get to the airport in an hour!" Donna's voice was panicked. Frank stumbled a bit from the shove but ended up stepping out the front door. Brendon and Ross were behind the car, making it obvious Brendon was flirting with him. Ross's cheeks were tomato red, and he twisted his fingers in his hair anxiously. Frank walked up to the back of Donna's old SUV and swung open the trunk door. His hands fell at his side harshly as he was met with the trunk completely full. The now kissing couple stopped and looked at him. "Sorry! Ryan wanted to do this toy thingy..." Brendon looked at a loss for words. The taller boy filled in for him, "A toy donation, for people in Switzerland. They had a bad storm recently." Ross replied quietly. Brendon nodded and pointed to his, "Switzerland thingy!" His voice was loud. Even if someone hadn't told him, he would know this boy has bad ADHD. He has pills, but he can't take them until noon. Ross snatched at a piece of his hair, signalling him to calm down a bit. Brendon let out a giggle and leaned into Ross, "Sorry..." He said quietly. Ross only smiled softly and ran his fingers through his boyfriend's black hair.

Frank slammed shut the trunk door and started to drag his and Ryan's bags inside. Only to run face first into Gerard. Gerard stepped back a bit, looking down at Frank. He shoved past him, muttering a small "Sorry...". Frank turned and watched him, biting his lip, "Gerard, it's-" But Gerard already opened the trunk door, staring at the luggage in disbelief. "Full..." Frank finished with a sigh. Gerard turned to Ross and Brendon, who were back to kissing passionately. Frank shrugged and went back inside.

Donna looked at them confused, "Guys wh-"

Gerard came in behind Frank, "Ryan's stupid stuffed animal donation!" He exclaimed, "There's no more room in the car!"

Frank could see the panic rise in her eyes. "We'll have to take both, Gerard can you drive?" She rushed over to them, grabbing her car key from the rack of hooks by the door. "Yeah, I have my license, dur..." He grabbed his keys, too. "Don't, Gerard." She gave him a warning look. He only smiled in reply, walking towards the garage door.

# ______________

They set off on their way to the airport, which was about 40 minutes away. Frank, Gerard, Brendon, and Ross all rode in Gerard's car, and Donna, Ray, Mikey, and Ryan was in Donna's. He never really expected Ray, Brendon, and Ross to come with them, since they don't live with them. Ray's parents were easier to get permission from, they seemed almost relieved that they were taking Ray for two whole weeks. Brendon's parents were a bit hesitant, but they trusted the Way's. Ryan's dad was...probably the hardest, Gerard had to make the call since Donna was at work, he said he felt bad for Ross. Frank did, too. Apparently there was something wrong with Ross's dad that Frank wasn't aware of. If Ross would be willing to, maybe he could tell Frank. Frank let out a small sigh and closed his eyes, leaning his head on the window.

"Gerard?"

"Yeah, Brendon?" Gerard replied.

"Can you put this in the CD player? A-And play track 4." Brendon held out a CD to the front of the car.

Gerard glanced down at the orange colored CD and look it from Brendon's hand. He put it in the CD player on the dashboard and pressed the skip button, stopping at track 4.

Brendon smiled brightly as he leaned into Ross, his cheeks a light shade of pink.

Gerard and I groaned as we heard the beginning of True Colors.

Brendon only giggled as Ryan hugged him tightly, snuggling his face into his black hair.

# _______________

"Frankie, wake up!" 

I shot my eyes open, my eyes, my pupils darting across the car. I stop when I see Brendon sitting on my hip.

"Come on! We're here!" He exclaimed, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the car.

I don't even get the time to yawn and stretch before I'm being dragged into the ginormous airport.

"Brendon, for Christ's sake, slow down!" I say groggily.

Brendon's face suddenly falls and he slows down into a walking pace, "Sorry..." He mutters.

# _______________

"Frank I-I can't..." Ryan whimpers into my shoulder, clutching my shoulders tightly in his arms.

"Please, Ryan, I know it's scary, but we gotta go, I'll be right next to you, you can even have the window seat." Frank was starting to lose hope, they were already gonna be one of the last people boarding the plane.

"I don't want the window seat!" His eyes widened.

Ryan has always been afraid of planes, and heights. The only reason he could stand sitting on the roof with me at the oil factory was because he got used to it. He's never been on a plane before.

Frank looked around nervously, everyone else had already boarded the plane.

"Ryan, please, I don't know what else to do..." Frank looked up at Ryan.

Ryan looked like he felt just as bad as Frank did.

"Please don't let go of me..." He whispered.

Frank pulled away from him hesitantly, grabbing his hand, "I won't, I promise."


	8. Do You Know What I'm Seeing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The children finally land in their secret destination and the adventure begins.
> 
> (Sorry if this one's not as long and/or crappy. It was a bit rushed)

# Do You Know What I'm Seeing?-Panic! At The Disco

Where they were all going was a secret to the children. Donna, from what Mikey told him, was a huge fan of surprises. Brendon and Ross couldn't stop whispering all the possible places they could be going.

"Kansas?"

"Florida!"

"Probably not Florida, that place is expensive."

"Nevada?"

"Maybe we're going somewhere out of the states?"

Brendon gasped, "Canada!" He exclaimed.

Most people on the plane gave harsh and annoyed shushed towards him. Ross blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry everyone." he called out.

Brendon was silent he rest of the flight, feeling ashamed.

_______________

"We will be landing in-" The children were finally able to hear where they were. They all sat at the edge of their seats. "Dublin, Ireland in 3 minutes. I hope you all had a great flight folks." The voice over the intercom announced.

The children all looked at eachother excitedly, Brendon seemed more calm than earlier, now knowing that earlier, he had passed the line.

Ross smiled widely, a small chuckle erupping from his lips as he wrapped his arms around Brendon, kissing his lips with great passion.

"Frank, oh my god!" Ryan shook Frank's shoulder. Frank turned his head to look at the taller brunette. "Think about this, Frank. We. Are. In. Ireland!" He looked at Frank dead in the eye, a huge grin on his pale face. Ryan's hazel eyes were almost a green as they sparkled in the morning sunlight. Frank has always wanted to tell him how stunning he looks. Ryan really is a beautiful guy. It's sad he doesn't at least see a little bit of how good he looks.

Frank smiles, linking an arm around Ryan's shoulder, "You know, you look good wearing a smile. I think you should keep it." He told him with a smirk.

Ryan's face turned rose red and Frank felt accomplished.

# _______________

"Alright, children!" Donna announced, clapping her hands together. The 7 boys looked at her. They had arrived at the hotel, and they were currently sitting in the lounge.

"Now, there are a lot of you, and that's pretty obvious." She smiled softly. Most of them nodded their heads, smiling back.

"So that means we're gonna have to share rooms. I only have so much money." Donna chuckled, looking at her eldest son. "So, I've been observing you guys, and I have decided who's gonna share with who."

Gerard threw nervous glanced towards everyone, Ryan doing the same.

"Don't worry boys, three ." She chuckled.

"Just say the list already, Ms. Way!" Ross chuckled, clutching Brendon's hand.

Donna laughed, "Okay, Ryan." She shifted, leaning on her other foot. She dug into her pocket, pulling out four room keys. "Okay! First room, Ryan and Brendon!" She held up the card and threw it to the boys. They got up excitedly, catching the card before darting to the elevador.

"Second room, Mikey, Gerard, and Ray!" She held up another card, throwing it to Ray. He caught it with ease as Mikey got up from his seat. The younger brother grabbed Ray by the arm and pulled him to his feet, dragging him towards the elevador.

"Third room, Ryan and Frank." She threw the card towards Frank. He caught it then looked to Ryan, "Let's go!" He grabbed his arm and smiled as they walked to the elevador with Donna behind them

# _______________

Ryan sighed as he landed back on the bed. "Feels good to finally lay in a bed." He chuckled. Frank smiled and went over to Ryan, laying on top of him. Ryan wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Feels good to finally have my most favorite person in the world back." Frank looked down at the male under him. Ryan smiled, looking back up at Frank. They enjoyed moments like these. Moments where they would sit there in silence, in each other's arms. It gave them both a moment to calm down and forget their stressful day. Memories of the oil factory came flooding back into Frank's mind. The factory will always hold a special place in Frank's heart. The cold nights cuddled up under their jackets and blankets, drinking cheap hot chocolate mix in mugs heated over a fire. Frank coming home from their weekly shopping with Ryan storming down the old metal steps. The young victorian-like brothers taking care of Frank after a breakdown. Fighting off "Cujo" and saving their beloved Cookie from the jaws of that beast.

"Ryan, you really, truly are amazing." Frank whispered.

Ryan smiled triedly. Frank could see him starting to drift off.

"No I'm not." He said simply before yawning.

Frank smiled, ruffling his hair, "Go to sleep, dude. The plane ride must've worn you out."

Ryan hummed before holding Frank a bit tighter, "Stay with me?" He gave Frank his best puppy eyes.

Sometimes Ryan made it obvious he had a raging crush on Frank. It's not that Frank didn't wanna date him, nor that he didn't like him back, he just wasn't into the whole relationship thing.

Frank sighed, letting Ryan pull him under the covers. His arms stayed attached around his waist.

"Love you, Frank." Ryan mumbled.

"Love you, too, Ryan." Frank replied.


	9. In My Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, even the happiest people break down

# In My Blood - Shawn Mendes

It wasn't until the next day that someone came in to disturb the two boys' sleep.

"Guys, come on. We gotta get ready."

The sudden break in silence woke Frank. He recognized the voice as Gerard's.

Frank opened his eyes, peering out from under the blanket. He didn't wanna get up, he was comfortable snuggled up with Ryan.

"Wake your boyfriend up. Mama told us to get ready." Gerard flipped on the light.

Frank only hugged Ryan in response, causing his friend to stir, "We're not dating." He glared.

Gerard rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean." He smiled.

Frank sighed, then shook Ryan lightly, "Wake up, Ry." He whispered.

He didn't get a response.

He pinched his ear, "Ryan," He repeated.

Ryan slapped his hand away, "Ow, what was that for...?" He asked groggily.

"We gotta get ready." He mumbled.

"Okay..." Ryan sat up slowly,

"Be ready in 30." Gerard waved his hand and walked out.

Frank sighed, and slipped out of bed, "Come on, get up." He told Ryan

# _______________

"Look at it, Frank!" Ryan pointed to the castle that now stood in front of them.

It wasn't Frank's cup of tea, but it looked beautiful nonetheless. The old stone bricks were cracked and crumbling, most of the top was missing. The big old oak doors looked freshly stained and cleaned, as if they weren't over a thousand years old. Frank peered into the foggy glass placed next to the door. He could see a small, fuzzy fly crawling on the outside of it.

"It's...huge." Frank looked like a midget compared to the large structure. People find him adorable. 5'4 is not adorable.

"Alright boys, let's head on in, yeah?" Donna turned to the seven.

Brendon nodded eagerly.

# _______________

The boys wandered around the old castle, looking at the different artifacts people have found here. They were all in glass cases, some of the larger artifacts were blocked by red velvet rope. The one Frank liked the most was the old rifle soldiers used and a princess's diary. Her quill was caged with it. It was a beautiful black one and it gleamed in the sunlight shining through holes in the roof.

"Frank, Frank, come look!" Ryan pulled Frank by the arm, dragging him away from a glass case holding a coin. Frank stumbled a bit as he was drug outside before abruptly stopping. "They're rabbits." Ryan whispered, kneeling down onto the ground. Frank kneeled beside him, looking at the litter of baby rabbits feeding from their mother. Frank noticed one of the babies thrown off to the side, lying alone a foot away from the rest of the litter. Frank shoved his shoulder and pointed to the small animal. It's ear looked as if it were chopped in half and it's leg had small patches of bare skin on the foot.

Ryan gasped, and started to get up. Frank pulled him back down, "No, it could have a disease!" He whisper-yelled. Ryan sighed, watching the tiny animal with sorrowful eyes. Frank sighed and put an arm around the boy, "C'mere," He whispered. They got up and crawled over to the bare side of the museum. They were met with a row of bright roses, like the front of the castle, but not as cared for. Frank could see the Mama Rabbit's behind more clearly.

The two boys sat behind them, hidden away from the human eye. Their legs were crossed and they faced each other. Frank looked at Ryan, "I've been meaning to ask you, but how are you feeling? Like, are you liking it here?" He asked. Ryan seemed to have forgotten about the family of rabbits, "Yeah, I mean, I've been much happier here than back at the factory...I think." He looked over Frank's shoulder. Frank nodded, "If you feel happier, then that's a big plus," He commented. Ryan smiled softly and looked back at Frank, "Me and Mikey came up with this name for you and Gerard. It's like, your names put together." Frank chortled, shaking his head, "Ryan..." He buried his face in his hands, chuckling quietly. "It's Frerard," Ryan was smiling widely now. "That's stupid, we aren't even close!" Frank exclaimed with a laugh. Ryan laughed, too, "I know, but Mikey liked it." He shrugged. Frank shook his head. Of course Ryan would agree to something like that. He's into that romance stuff.

# _______________

By the time everyone got home, it was close to 10. Everyone was tired after walking around town all day. Except Frank. He lay awake in his bed, staring up at the blank white ceiling. It was completely silent besides the soft sound of Ryan's music playing quietly throughout the room. Radiohead, Frank recognized. Ryan loved Radiohead, he had a slight crush on the guitarist, Johnny Greenwood. He'd seen the man while watching Ryan watch their music video for Creep. He could admit that he was kinda cute, but more recent pictures of him...he looked a bit rough. There was nothing wrong with that of course. Frank liked Thom Yorke a bit more, the singer. His voice was phenomenal.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft bang from Brendon and Ryan's room. He instantly sat up, looking around the room with cautious eyes. Then, he slowly pulled back the covers and slowly crept out of his bed, careful not to wake Ryan in the other. He tip-toed over to the small door separating their rooms, turning the knob and opening the door. He peered in, firstly noticing that the bathroom door was closed and a light leaked out from under it. He suddenly heard a small choking noise from behind it. This peaked his curiosity, and worry.

Frank padded towards the door, knocking quietly. A snore came from Ryan. Frank tensed a bit, and turned the knob a bit. "Brendon, are you in there?" He whispered. He heard rustling, then another choking noise, sounding more like a whimper, followed by a sniffle. Frank started to panic as he turned the knob more, feeling relieved when it was unlocked. He opened the door, almost tripping over a Brendon lying on the floor. Frank's senses suddenly came to him and he shut the door behind him, stepping over Brendon carefully. Brendon had tears streaming down his face as he gasped for breath, his eyes wide open and blood-shot.

A panic attack.

He knows because Ryan used to have them.

"Brendon, can you hear me? You're gonna be okay." Frank started doing what he used to do with Ryan. He sat on the floor and drug Brendon into his lap, grabbing his shaking hands and rubbing his thumbs over the top of them. Brendon didn't even react at all, he just continued letting out loud gasps and forced-hushed sobs. "Brendon, I promise it's okay, watch me." He pressed Brendon's hand over his chest and began letting out deep inhales and exhales. "Do you feel that?" Frank asked. Brendon tried his best to nod. "Good, keep with me, Bren, try to match me." Frank continued to let out deep breaths. Brendon tried to match Frank, and the grip on Frank's hand was tight. Brendon was the last person Frank would ever expect to be going through this. He was the happy-go-lucky guy, the gay, bubbly, flower-crown loving boy with a shy boyfriend. Now, he looked small and helpless. He felt bad that Ross wasn't awake to help him. Ross is a very deep sleeper. He slept through the whole plane ride here. 

Brendon then broke again, letting out a heart-wrenching sob. Frank could've sworn he felt his heart split in two. "Brendon, no- hey, hey, listen to me," Frank held Brendon a bit tighter in hopes that it would somewhat soothe him. Brendon buried his face in Frank's stomach, letting out harsh hiccups. Frank frowned as he rubbed the boy's back, "Brendon, I know you feel like this is the end, but you'll be okay..." Frank tried to console him, but even his voice was starting to sound small and helpless. Brendon clung to Frank, "Ryan..." He hiccuped. "Ryan's asleep, Brendon. I'm-" Frank stopped, "I n-need Ry-Ryro." Brendon sobbed. Frank looked at the door. He didn't know what to do. Frank continued to rub his back, keeping a hand over Brendon's as it rested on his own chest.

"Brendon, I need you to calm down," Frank whispered, "Just take deep breaths," He added. Brendon tried doing so, and they sat there for 3 minutes before Frank started realizing he was calming down.

Frank sighed in relief as Brendon breathed at a normal rate again and his tears dried. The taller male pushed back his messy black hair and sat up slowly. Frank let his hand rest in Brendon's, waiting for him to let it go. But he didn't, which was okay with Frank. Brendon sniffled a bit and rubbed his nose gently with his sleeve before saying, "Thanks, Frank." 

Frank nodded, "What happened?" He asked quietly. Brendon's face fell, and he looked down at the tiled floor, "I-I don't know, I haven't had a panic attack that bad in a long time..." He said in almost a whisper. Frank raised an eyebrow, "There wasn't anything on your mind, it just happened?" Brendon shrugged, "What happened on the plane, but that's something minor, it'd be silly to have one over just that." He sighed. It certainly wasn't silly, everyone reacts to scenarios differently than others.


	10. Cinderblock Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donna decides to scramble up the boys for the day.
> 
> ||Sorry this one's a bit shorter, running out of ideas||

# Cinderblock Garden - All Time Low

"Today boys, you will hang out with someone else, someone you don't talk to as much. We'll be having a picnic at the town's park." Donna announced. They were all in Gerard, Mikey, and Ray's room.

So that's why she had all those blankets and baskets.

"Lemme guess, you-" Mikey started, "I have assigned who you're going with." Donna finished. Mikey gestured towards her, saying that he was gonna say the same.

"Who's it gonna be, Ms. Way?" Brendon said in a game-show host voice, holding an invisible mic to her face.

Donna laughed at Brendon's gesture. "Gerard, you're with Mester. Ross with Frank. Mikey with Brendon. Ray, you'll tag along with Frank and Ross." Everyone started moving with their partners. Donna would made a great school teacher. She always makes sure that everyone has something to do everyday. She also has that 'alright, class' voice.

"You'll be packing your own baskets. Foods' in my room. Go!" She put down the small baskets and blankets as the boys got up. They all rushed out of the room with the baskets. Frank rushed out with Ross holding theirs. Donna's room was a bit smaller since it only had one bed, so the mini fridge was crowded.

"This is going to take forever." Ross groaned, setting down their basket on the bed. "I don't even know where Mama gets all these ideas." Frank heard Gerard say to Ryan, who was holding the basket out as Gerard stuffed food into it. They were all different baskets, most likely from a dollar store since we're cheap. "Let's go!" Brendon told Mikey as they slammed their basket shut and rushing out of the room. Frank turned to Ross, who was finally able to reach inside the fridge. He started stuffing some stuff in, "What do you want, Frank?" He turned to the much shorter male. "Uh, I dunno. I'm not that picky." Frank shrugged. Ross nodded and stuffed a few more things in.

# _______________

Ross was looking down, playing with his hands. Frank hugged his jacket close to him. It was a bit too cold for a picnic, which was expected for Ireland. From what Frank learned from some loud Irish gamer on youtube, it rains a lot and warmth comes rarely. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying their picnic nonetheless. Frank looked up at Ross, who looked lost in thought, and a bit upset. "Hey," Frank spoke up. Ross looked up, his upset look now buried away. "What's up? You look down." Frank asked. Ross sighed, the look back again. "I-It's Brendon. I heard you you and him in the bathroom last night." He started. Frank's stomach dropped a bit. "It's usually never this bad. I feel like a horrible boyfriend for not being up to help him. I heard him calling for me, I was just too afraid to get up and open the door." He looked back down. Frank raised an eyebrow, "Has this happened before?" He asked. Ryan nodded, brushing some of his hair back.

Frank was still a bit confused.

"He was diagnosed with ADHD at 10 years old. Then, 4 years later, Severe Anxiety and Depression. He takes pills for them, but he absolutely hates them. When he takes them, he looks completely numb. It makes me feel bad." He sighed.

"So, he hasn't been taking them?" Frank asked. "Exactly. Sometimes, it's for the better. But when things get bad...then...last night happens." Ryan answered. "But what caused it? He said the plane was part of the problem, but what else triggered it?" Frank crossed his legs, curious to know. "He just didn't wanna seem like a wimp. It was the plane entirely. He couldn't take his pills, the movement of the plane would make him throw them up." Ryan looked over at Brendon, who was a bit away, talking loudly to Mikey, who looked a bit taken aback by how much the boy talked. Frank followed his gaze.

"He seems so happy though..." He whispered.

Ryan smiled sadly, "The ones who smile most are the most broken."


	11. Neverenders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go out for a midnight drive, experiencing some hilarious stunts with Mikey

# Neverenders - frnkiero andthe cellabration

It was another sleepless night for Frank. While Ryan's calming music made him want to fall asleep, his mind kept him awake. It was random thoughts such as: "What are we doing tomorrow?" "Is Brendon okay now?" "Does Gerard work with his mom?" "I'm really bored."

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the room separation door creaking open. "Is anyone awake in here?" He heard a voice whisper. Frank sat up. He recognized the voice as Gerard's.

Well, speak of the devil.

"I'm awake," Frank replied quietly. Gerard heard rustling, then a pair of shoes and his jacket were thrown onto his lap. "Get 'em on. We're going for a drive." He whispered. Frank raised an eyebrow and climbed out of bed. He felt a bit too naked since he was only in his boxers. "Where are we going?" He asked as he slipped his shirt and jeans back on. "Somewhere." He replies, watching him. Frank huffs, zipping and buttoning his jeans. He decided not to ask about it anymore. Maybe it really is just going to be a drive around town.

Frank slipped on his shoes and jacket, then followed Gerard through Ryan and Brendon's room, into theirs. Mikey and Ray sat awake on the bed, cuddling each other. "Alright, let's go. We have Frank." Gerard grabbed his car keys from the nightstand. They separated from each other, quickly getting out of the bed. "Where're we going?" Ray asked, walking next to Frank as they followed Gerard. "Places. We're just gonna hang out in whatever's open. That's why it's called a midnight drive." Gerard closed the door behind them and lead the three boys down the hallway. "Hm, guess that makes sense." Mikey replied. Gerard nodded and continued down the long hallway. There were some noises coming out from behind closed doors. One of them were...quite interesting. If you know what he means.

# _______________

They were driving along a dark and deserted road. Frank was in the backseat with Mikey, his head resting against the cold window. The older boys were whispering to each other over the radio. Kurt Cobain's voice was heard throughout the car. "Pull in here," Ray spoke up, pointing to a Sonic to the right. Gerard nodded and pulled his small vehicle into the parking lot, pulling up into one of the glowing booths.

"You and me pay?" Gerard whispered to Ray. The fro-haired boy nodded, pulling out an old leather wallet. It had signatures on it, Frank recognized them as The Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan, James Iha, D'arcy Wretzky, and Jimmy Chamberlin. They were all there. Frank was instantly jealous.

"You've met The Smashing Pumpkins?" Frank asked. Ray looked back at him, then smiled, "Yeah, back in '98. Best day of my life." Ray looked down at his wallet. Frank smiled, "That's awesome. I'd like to go to a concert one day." He looked over at the glowing sign showing the different burgers, shakes, and slushies. "You've never been to a concert?" Mikey asked. Frank glanced at Mikey, shaking his head, "We were living in an abandoned oil factory. It would've costed us our food for a week if we bought concert tickets." He said with a small smile. Mikey raised an eyebrow, "Just steal food. It's not like the stores in Belleville have high-tech security." Mikey threw his hand up, then let it drop onto his lap. Frank shook his head, "No, couldn't do that. Ryan said he'd punch me in the face if I stole anything." He chuckled. Ray smiled, "Ryan looks like that kind of person." He chuckled. Frank nodded, "He is that kind of person." He agreed.

It fell into silence. It was a bit awkward, to be quite honest. Mikey climbed out of his seat and leaned forwards to the dash. Frank chuckled and brushed his long hair back.

"Look, right there. Cute chick with the purple ends." Mikey pointed to somewhere in the building in front of them. Frank leaned forward to try and see what Mikey was seeing. "Which one? There's another one with a full head." Gerard commented. Mikey sighed and grabbed Gerard's hands, pointing to the cute girl working the drive-tru. Frank finally saw her, and Mikey was right, she was beautiful. "Mikey, you cheater!" Ray scolded. "We aren't even dating, we're friends with benefits or something!" Mikey sat back down. "I'm gonna press the button, now all of you shut up." Gerard said in a demanding voice. Everyone went quiet and Gerard pressed the red button to order.

"Welcome to Sonic, what can I get you?" A thick Irish accent responded.

"Can I get a cherry slushie, two cookies and cream milkshakes, and...what did you want, Frank?" Gerard turned back to me. "I'll just have what Mikey is having." Frank answered. Gerard nodded and turned back to the board, "and another cherry slushie." He added.

"Alright, that'll be 12.05. Your drinks will be out in a few." The Irish cashier replied. "Cool, thank you." Gerard replied before fishing out his wallet. Ray pulled out his own wallet, "We each pay six?" He turned to Gerard. The raven-haired boy nodded, pulling out a 5 and a 1. Ray did the same.

"Why do you guys have to pay for us?" Frank asked. Gerard looked at the two younger boys in the rear-view mirror, "Did you guys bring your wallets?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. Frank's face fell in embarrassment as they both shook their heads. "Exactly." Gerard turned back around, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled out one of the white sticks and set it between his lips, lighting it with a black lighter with a navy blue skull on it. Frank watched Gerard take a long drag before blowing out, "Did the dude say how long it would take?" His hand with the cigarette hung out the window. "Yeah, a few." Mikey replied, his voice filled with sarcasm. Gerard rolled his eyes and flicked the ash off the end, taking in another drag.

Frank pulled out his phone and flipped it open, going to that gopher game on the home screen. He could never win at those games, the keys on his phone were much too small for his chubby fingers.

"What kind of phone is that??" Mikey chuckled as he glanced down at Frank struggling to get the small pixelated gopher into the holes to avoid obstacles. "My phone?" Frank replied, not looking away from the screen. "Dude, you know they made these touchscreen phones, iPhones or whatever they're called. Gerard got one last week from Mama as a birthday gift." He looked over at Gerard in the driver's seat. Frank remembered Gerard's birthday, He had gone over to Ronnie's that day with Ray, Donna, and some dudes named James and Pete. It wasn't surprising that Frank hadn't known what he got. "I mean, it's nice and al but it's real confusing. I'm so used to pressing buttons, but now it's all like," Gerard looked out to the building, "I use my finger on the screen?"

He notices the cute chick from earlier bringing out their drinks. Mikey quickly scribbles something on a sticky note, shoving it towards Gerard, "Give it to her!" He says. Gerard stares at it, shaking his head as he sticks it on top of his money. He rolls down the window, snatching Ray's 6 bucks from his hands. "Here are your drinks. two cherry slushies and two cookies and cream milkshakes." She smiles politely, handing in the drinks through the window. Gerard hands her the money and hands back the slushies.

She raises an eyebrow at the paper, looking at Gerard. Gerard gestures towards his brother in the back. She leans a bit to look at Mikey before giving a disgusted look and walking away. Frank, Gerard, and Ray all bursted out laughing while Mikey's jaw hung open, his face bright red. "You just got friend-zoned, my man! Ray wheezed, burying his head in his hands against the dash. The woman turned one more time, this time giving Mikey the birdie. That made everyone laugh more at Mikey's fail on picking up a girl.

Frank is definitely hanging out with them more often.


	12. Hey Jude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (For now on, I'm going to write about 1,400-2,000 words each chapter. K? K.)  
> (This chapter is about 1,400 :P)

# Hey Jude - The Beatles

Ray sat with Frank, both holding guitars in their arms. "So how long has it been?" Ray says as he strums a few chords. "Over 2 years, I might be a bit rusty." Frank smiled softly as he mindlessly twirled his pick around in his hand. "Come on! I wanna hear you!" Ray shifted excitedly in his seat, resting his chin on the top of his own guitar. "I dunno..." Frank looked down at the black acoustic in his arms. "You can't be that bad, play something simple." Ray waved his hand. Frank shook his head and set Ray's capo on the second fret of the fret board. Ray clapped silently as he strummed a few chords, trying to find the right one. Frank smiled once he found the right chord, "Alright, let's do this..." He muttered. Frank carefully recited the song he was playing in his head, and the chords slowly came back to his brain.

# _______________

Ray stood in horror as Brendon was on his knees, throwing his fists at the floor. Ross quickly pushed past him, running to Brendon. Ray slowly pressed his hand over his mouth as he watch Ross kneel down behind him, grabbing him by the waist and trying to pull him up. Brendon made a whimpering sound as he sobbed.

"I WAS NEVER FINE!!" Brendon screamed to the ceiling with tears streaming down his face. Ross clung to him, his own tears threatening to spill. Ray's eyes were wide as he leaned against the doorframe. Ross turned to him with tears falling down his cheeks. "Ray, go. I'll handle him." He said, looking at him with sorrowful eyes. Ray bit his lip, fiddling with one of his brunette curls. "Go! Please, I don't want to overwhelm him." Ross repeated, almost falling over from Brendon leaning on him. Ray quickly and quietly left the room, deciding to leave the two alone.

# _______________

They sat in a sobbing pile on the floor, clinging to each other like the world was ending. Ryan let tears slip down his cheeks as Brendon sobbed into his shoulder. His chin rested on the top of his head. "I just want to be okay again..." Brendon whispered. Ryan brushed his fingers through his black hair. Ross has been dealing with Brendon's mental problems for years now. They both had the same thing, but Ryan's depression was stronger than his anxiety, then it was the opposite for Brendon. If you don't include his ADHD. Ryan always tries to stay strong for Brendon, tries not to show that he's suffering, too. "Are the pills working?" He asked. Brendon meekly shook his head, letting out a small sniffle. Ryan nodded, "Don't take them anymore. We can make an appointment with your therapist when we get home." He whispered. Brendon clung to Ross tighter, and he could feel Brendon's small fingertips dig into the skin on his back. "I love you, Ryan." Brendon whispered. "I love you, too, Brendon. You're gonna get better, baby..." Ross replied, and he was going to make sure of that.

He and Brendon stayed in that position for a while, and when Ross could confirm he was asleep, he carried him to the bed and walked out of the room. No one was in the hallway, so he slid down onto the floor and buried his face in his hands, letting his remaining tears slip from his eyes. He didn't know what to do anymore, Brendon's mental health was getting worse and the pills weren't working anymore. He could always call his therapist and ask if it was okay to give him a higher dose before he made an appointment. Mr. Yorke would probably make an appointment anyway. He really does care about Brendon, which makes Ross glad. Everyone else told them he was too problematic and sensitive. Too hard to deal with. When they got an email that a therapist named Thom Yorke was willing to take him in, Ross was nervous. Who wouldn't be after what they've been through?

"You good?"

Ross looked up and wiped a few stray tears from his face. He didn't have time to react before the white and brown haired person was seated next to him, "I don't bite, tell me what happened?" The male asked. Ross sighed, resting his chin on his knees, "Why would I tell a complete stranger what I'm feeling?" He chuckled dryly.

The man scooted a bit, their shoulders touching, "It's better than not telling anyone." He said. Ross looked over at him. He was his age with a brown fringe, splotches of white dye poking out in different places. He looked like an emo kid trying to sell you his "dope mixtape".

"Alright, we'll start simple, what's your name?" The boy asked. "Ryan," Ross replied. "Nice, I'm Jack," Jack smiles, "Barakat." He added.

"So, you wanna go somewhere to talk about this? My room or something?" He asked. Ross nodded, "Sure."

# _______________

Jack opened the door to his apartment, stepping aside to let Ross in. Ross was still a bit shaken up from earlier, and it didn't cease. He was in a complete stranger's apartment, who knows what could happen to him? A brunette sitting on the bed looked up from a ntoebook he was writing in, "Finally got yourself a boyfriend?" The roommate asked. Jack rolled his eyes, "No. This is Ryan, he was sitting outside in the hallway. Decided to let him come with me to talk things out. Ryan, this is my friend Alex Gaskarth." Jack motioned towards the tall brunette. He was almost as tall as Ray. Ray is 6'3.

"'Sup, I'm Alex." He got up and held his hand out to Ross. Ross shook it hesitantly. Here's where the social anxiety comes in.

"Should I leave you two alone, or...?" Alex asked, grabbing his notebook. Jack turned to Ross, expecting him to answer. Ross opened his mouth to say something, only a quiet "He's fine." slipping from his thin lips. "Hey, breathe. You're alright, man." Jack said, gently patting him on the back. Alex smiled at him and sat back down, going silent once again as he went back to scribbling in his notebook. Jack sat on his own bed and patted the area next to him. Ross slowly made his way over and sat next to Jack. "You aren't gonna rape me are you?" Ross asked, the slightest bit of sarcasm in his voice. Jack bursted out laughing and Alex chuckled quietly. "Does it look like any of us want to rape you? You're okay, Ryan. Just concerned about you. Now, what's up?" Jack asked. Ross relaxed a bit and fiddled with a string sticking out from his jeans. Jack only stared at him politely, giving him time to answer.

"My, my boyfriend has been getting pretty bad breakdowns lately." Ross finally spoke up, that squeezing feeling starting to form in his throat again. Jack put a hesitant hand on his knee. "He's been dealing with anxiety, depression, and ADHD since he was 13, I didn't come into the picture until he was 17. When we started dating, he started getting better, not really needing the pills anymore." Ross's voice was quiet. Even Alex had stop writing to listen.

"But ever since we got here, he's been getting worse again, and just a few nights ago, he's had his first panic attack in years. I wasn't even there for him, my friend's adopted brother was the one who helped him. He had another breakdown just today. I found him punching the floor and screaming that he was never fine." Tears welled at the corners of his eyes, "I-I don't know what to do. I feel like such a horrible boyfriend." His voice finally gave in. Jack frowned, "You're not a horrible, if anything, you're the best boyfriend he could have. You're doing the best you can." He said quietly. Ross kept his eyes glued to his shoes, letting his tears drop on the material. Alex scooted to the edge of his bed, setting his journal on the bedside table.

"Ryan?" The brunette called. Ross turned around, quickly looking back down, in fear of him seeing the big tears rolling down his cheeks. Alex pulled him to his feet and wrapped his arms around the shorter boy's shoulders. Ross closed his eyes tightly, more tears welling back in his eyes as he held back a sob. Alex rubbed his back lightly, most likely feeling the tension in his body, "It's okay," He reassured. Ross couldn't hold it back any longer, he let out a quiet sob as he heard Jack getting up to join the hug.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna do a weird thing.  
> The chapter titles will be songs that are related to the chapter.  
> Mkay-


End file.
